Winter Olympics host countries
The 13 countries that have hosted the Winter Olympic Games, all in the Northern Hemisphere, from Chamonix in 1924 to Milan and Cortina in 2026, with France and the United States due again in 2030 and 2034.
13 countriesAs of September 2026Short notes, not sourcedSuggest a correction
The first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, in the French Alps, in 1924, though they were only named Olympic Games afterwards. Until 1992 they took place in the same year as the Summer Games, and since 1994 they have been held two years apart from them.
They need snowy mountains near a city that can take the crowds, so they have always been held in the Alps, Scandinavia, North America or East Asia. The cost and the warming climate have narrowed the field: fewer places can promise snow in February, and several cities have pulled out of bidding after their voters said no.
Europe8
FranceChamonix in 1924, Grenoble in 1968 and Albertville in 1992, with the French Alps due to host in 2030.
SwitzerlandSt. Moritz hosted in 1928 and 1948.
GermanyGarmisch-Partenkirchen hosted in 1936, the first Winter Games with alpine skiing.
NorwayOslo hosted in 1952 and Lillehammer in 1994. Norway has won more Winter Olympic medals than any other country.
ItalyCortina d’Ampezzo in 1956, Turin in 2006, and Milan and Cortina together in 2026.
AustriaInnsbruck hosted in 1964 and 1976.
Bosnia and HerzegovinaSarajevo hosted in 1984, in Yugoslavia. Less than ten years later the city was under siege, and some of the venues were front lines.
RussiaSochi hosted in 2014, on the Black Sea coast, with the snow events in the mountains nearby.
North America2
United StatesLake Placid in 1932 and 1980, Squaw Valley in 1960, and Salt Lake City in 2002, which will host again in 2034.
CanadaCalgary hosted in 1988 and Vancouver in 2010.
East Asia3
JapanSapporo hosted in 1972, the first Winter Games outside Europe and North America, and Nagano in 1998.
South KoreaPyeongchang hosted in 2018.
ChinaBeijing hosted in 2022, largely on artificial snow, and became the first city to host both Summer and Winter Games.
Close calls
The Southern Hemisphere
No Winter Olympics has been held south of the Equator. February, when the Games are held, is summer there, and although New Zealand, Chile and Argentina have ski fields, the Games have never gone south.
Sweden
Sweden has bid for the Winter Games eight times without winning, most recently losing the 2026 Games to Milan and Cortina. It hosted the Summer Games in 1912, and its Nordic Games, held from 1901, were a forerunner of the Winter Olympics.
More country lists
- Amazon rainforest countries
- Andean countries
- Arab League member states
- Arctic Ocean countries
- ASEAN member countries
- Atlantic Ocean countries
- Baltic Sea countries
- Black Sea countries
- BRICS member countries
- Caribbean Sea countries
- Commonwealth member countries
- Countries in the Arctic Circle
- Countries in the European Union
- Countries of the former Yugoslavia
- Countries on the Equator
- Countries that drive on the left
- Countries that use the euro
- Countries with a monarch
- Countries with nuclear weapons
- Danube countries
- FIFA World Cup host countries
- Former Soviet republics
- G20 member countries
- Indian Ocean countries
- Island nations
- Landlocked countries
- Mediterranean countries
- Mekong countries
- NATO member countries
- OECD member countries
- OPEC member countries
- Pacific Ocean countries
- Persian Gulf countries
- Red Sea countries
- Sahara Desert countries
- Schengen Area countries
- Summer Olympics host countries